September Series of the Month: Bibliography of Forbidden Books

In these scary Orwell-like times, Cosimo is celebrating Banned Books Week with Bibliography of Forbidden Books by Henry Spencer Ashbee as our Series of the Month for September!

In this three-volume work that established Henry Spencer Ashbee, British book collector, travel writer and bibliographer, as England's leading authority on pornography, Ashbee describes scores of "curious, uncommon and erotic books" that were banned or otherwise prohibited from legitimate sale during the Victorian era... and some even until the 1960s. This catalog of mostly forgotten works is an invaluable (and highly entertaining) resource for bibliophiles, students of erotica, and collectors of Victoriana.

This series contains "gentlemen only" titles such as: Intrigues and Confessions of a Ballet Girl, The Pleasures of Kissing and Being Kissed, the infamous Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, the Cloisters Laid Open, Memoirs of Miss Mary-Catherine Cadiere, and Pretty Little Games for Young Ladies and Gentlemen.

About the Author
British book collector, travel writer, and bibliographer Henry Spencer Ashbee (1834-1900), aka Pisanus Fraxi, is thought by some to have authored the notorious Victorian sexual memoir My Secret Life.

About the Organization

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. The 2019 celebration will be held September 22  -September 28, the theme this year is Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark. To find an event near you, please visit the Banned Books website.


The hardcover retail list price for the series is $101.97, but now: our price: $79.99 (you save $22 or a 27 percent discount)

The paperback retail list price for the series is $74.97, but now: our price: $59.99 (you save $15 or a 26 percent discount)

September Organization of the Month: Banned Books Week Coalition

Cosimo is celebrating banned books this September with our Organization of the Month, The Banned Books Week Coalition!

Banned Books Week happens once a year and celebrates the freedom to read. The week is sponsored by a host of great organizations dedicated to free expression, including: American Booksellers Association, American Library Association, The Authors Guild, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Freedom to Read Foundation, Index on Censorship, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Teachers of English, PEN America, and many more.

According to the Banned Books website, limiting access to controversial titles is not the answer for tough questions or broaching controversial topics. Many titles that continue to be removed from shelves, taken away from schools, or eliminated from classroom reading lists include stories about or subjects on LGBTQ, explicit content, witchcraft, swearing, suicide, and much more.

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. The 2018 celebration will be held September 23 - September 29. To find an event near you, please visit the Banned Books website.

September Series of the Month: Bibliography of Forbidden Books

In an era where some books are banned in US libraries, where the tech giants Google, Facebook and Twitter play questionable roles in suppressing certain opinions and information throughout the Western world, let alone in other less open societies, Cosimo is celebrating Banned Books Week with Bibliography of Forbidden Books by Henry Spencer Ashbee as our Series of the Month for September!

In this three-volume work that established Henry Spencer Ashbee, British book collector, travel writer and bibliographer, as England's leading authority on pornography, Ashbee describes scores of "curious, uncommon and erotic books" that were banned or otherwise prohibited from legitimate sale during the Victorian era... and some even until the 1960s. This catalog of mostly forgotten works is an invaluable (and highly entertaining) resource for bibliophiles, students of erotica, and collectors of Victoriana.

This series contains "gentlemen only" titles such as: Intrigues and Confessions of a Ballet Girl, The Pleasures of Kissing and Being Kissed, the infamous Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, the Cloisters Laid Open, Memoirs of Miss Mary-Catherine Cadiere, and Pretty Little Games for Young Ladies and Gentlemen.

About the Author
British book collector, travel writer, and bibliographer Henry Spencer Ashbee (1834-1900), aka Pisanus Fraxi, is thought by some to have authored the notorious Victorian sexual memoir My Secret Life.

About the Organization

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. The 2018 celebration will be held September 23 - September 29. To find an event near you, please visit the Banned Books website.


The hardcover retail list price for the series is $101.97, but now: our price: $79.99 (you save $22 or a 27 percent discount)

The paperback retail list price for the series is $74.97, but now: our price: $59.99 (you save $15 or a 26 percent discount)

2017 Banned Books Week & Cosimo's Bibliography of Forbidden Books

Cosimo is celebrating Banned Books Week by highlighting one of our Classic series from 1877, Bibliography of Forbidden Books by Henry Spencer Ashbee!

In this three-volume work that established Henry Spencer Ashbee, British book collector, travel writer and bibliographer, as England's leading authority on pornography, Ashbee describes scores of "curious, uncommon and erotic books" that were banned or otherwise prohibited from legitimate sale during the Victorian era... and some even until the 1960s. This catalog of mostly forgotten works is an invaluable (and highly entertaining) resource for bibliophiles, students of erotica, and collectors of Victoriana.

This series contains "gentlemen only" titles such as: Intrigues and Confessions of a Ballet Girl, The Pleasures of Kissing and Being Kissed, the infamous Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, the Cloisters Laid Open, Memoirs of Miss Mary-Catherine Cadiere, and Pretty Little Games for Young Ladies and Gentlemen.

About the AuthorBritish book collector, travel writer, and bibliographer Henry Spencer Ashbee (1834-1900), aka Pisanus Fraxi, is thought by some to have authored the notorious Victorian sexual memoir My Secret Life.

About the Organization

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. The 2017 celebration will be held September 24 - September 30. For this year's theme, the coalition of organizations that sponsors Banned Books Week will emphasize the importance of the First Amendment, which guarantees our inherent right to read. To find an event near you, please visit the Banned Books website.

Facts About Banned Books Week

*Artwork courtesy the ALA

It's Banned Books Week 2013, but did you know that the American Library Association (ALA) has hosted Banned Books Week since 1982? Back in 1982 there was a sudden influx of challenges to schools, bookstores, and libraries, to pull certain books off their shelves. Banned Books Week was started as a way to combat, and bring awareness to, censorship in America.

Here are some more interesting facts about Banned Books Week:

• More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982
• "Challenges" are when a person or group requests that books be pulled from the shelves of a library or from a school's curriculum--they become banned books when such a request is granted
•  The ALA compiles a tireless list of banned books each year, monitoring challenges through the receipt of reports from schools and libraries, and keeping an eye on media publications that report on bans
• Many classics have been challenged or banned, including the beloved novels The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), and Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
• The hugely successful Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling) is the most challenged series of 2000-2009
• The erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey (E.L. James), a fan fiction based on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight trilogy, has been banned or challenged in numerous libraries. In one Florida library it was pulled from shelves but later returned--due to popular demand!

For more information about the history of banned books (including comprehensive lists of the most banned authors and banned books by decade), check out the ALA's Banned Books Website. 

Banned Books Week 2013 Coverage

 

*Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association

Here at Cosimo we’re pretty passionate about Banned Books Week. As an independent publisher we know how hard it is for authors—particularly independent ones—to find both support for their publication and, ultimately, readership. It’s heartbreaking to imagine any of our authors having their works pulled from the shelves of a library or bookstore and kept from those who might be enriched by the ideas contained within. 

As a publisher focused on the publication of books that “inspire, inform and engage” we also know that books (or, rather, the ideas they contain) can sometimes be scary to some people, and misunderstood. But this is why we’re in publishing in the first place: because books can propel us into thinking about who we are, what we know, and how we feel. Is there really anything more incredible than the fact that a string of words can change the world?

At Cosimo we seek out titles concerned with personal development, socially responsible business, and economics/public affairs because we understand the impact of the written word, and we want our impact to be a positive one. We think it’s important to challenge yourself and others to think outside the box, expose yourself to ideas (even ones you disagree with) and BE INSPIRED, BE INFORMED.

We'll be discussing our favorite banned books all week on Twitter and Facebook. Let us know what you think about books that have been banned or challenged at some point in time. Stay posted for more!

For more information on Banned Books Week check out the comprehensive website from the American Library Assocation.